A look at the main storylines for each of the 20 teams ahead of the 2023/24 LaLiga EA Sports campaign.
Athletic Club
Ernesto Valverde couldn’t quite lead the Basques to a top-seven finish last season and Athletic Club just missed out on European qualification. Having kept their backbone intact despite Iñigo Martínez’s signing for FC Barcelona, Los Leones will try to bounce back in the new season. Yet, having not signed a reliable finisher, they will need Iñaki Williams, Nico Williams and Gorka Guruzeta to step up their game and improve their scoring tallies after netting 10, six and six goals, respectively, last term.
Atlético de Madrid
No team managed to pick up more points than Los Rojiblancos over the second half of last season and this is something that Diego Simeone will be called to build on. Back in June, the Argentinean coach said during an interview for Cadena COPE that Atlético de Madrid are there to snatch the opportunity in the event both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid struggle in the league. Should Atleti build on their momentum, they really could enter the title race and take everyone by surprise.
CA Osasuna
Just four teams scored fewer goals than CA Osasuna last season, yet Jagoba Arrasate’s side sealed seventh spot and Conference League qualification. Having scored just 37 goals in 38 games in 2022/23, it remains to be seen if Arrasate will find the trick to improve their attacking figures next term.
Cádiz CF
The Andalusian side have managed to survive on the final day for two consecutive campaigns. Had it not been for a solid Jeremías Ledesma in goal, they may have not avoided relegation to LALIGA HYPERMOTION, as no top-flight side netted fewer goals than Cádiz CF (30) last term. Will coach Sergio González find a solution for his team’s struggles in attack, with Álvaro Negredo now 37 years old and Choco Lozano having departed to Getafe CF?
Deportivo Alavés
Having clinched promotion to LaLiga through the playoffs with a 129th-minute Asier Villalibre penalty kick in the second leg of the final against Levante UD, Deportivo Alavés were the last team to book their spot in the top flight and are considered by many as relegation favourites. It remains to be seen whether the experienced Luis García Plaza can build on the team cohesion and help the Basque side secure safety against all odds.
FC Barcelona
Xavi Hernández put together an extremely compact defence, one which conceded just 20 goals in 38 games last season. The Barça coach also saw his men be clinical on the pitch when needed and secure 11 1-0 wins, which helped them clinch their first title since 2019 in mid-May. Keeping up their consistency and ability to grind out similar results this season will bring them one step closer to winning back-to-back trophies.
Getafe CF
Los Azulones legend José Bordalás returned to the team in the final stretch of last season to restore their defensive order and help them avoid relegation by picking up 11 points from the 21 available. Getafe CF announced that Bordalás will stay put ahead of next season after penning a contract extension. Can the coach make Getafe CF one of the best defences in the league and inspire them to compete for a European spot as he did in his first spell in their dugout?
Girona FC
After earning plaudits for their entertaining performances last season, when they boasted the fifth-best attack despite finishing 10th, Girona FC lost a key piece in the off-season as pivot Oriol Romeu moved to FC Barcelona. But, the Catalan club have long been able to unearth gems in the transfer market and they are hoping summer signings Sávio, Pablo Torre and Artem Dovbyk can help convert the club into a LaLiga mainstay.
Granada CF
The Andalusian side managed to return to the Spanish football top flight just one year after being relegated to LALIGA HYPERMOTION. Their main objective is to secure safety next season and avoid becoming a yo-yo club. To do so, they will count on striker Myrto Uzuni, who netted 23 of Granada CF’s 55 goals last term. Can Uzuni step forward, carry the weight of the team on his shoulders and record a similarly impressive scoring tally in LaLiga next season?
Rayo Vallecano
Starters Sergio Camello, Fran García, Santi Camesaña and Alejandro Catena have all left the club for other sides this off-season, but the main departure Rayo Vallecano will be called to deal with is that of coach Andoni Iraola, who surpassed expectations and beat the odds by creating a team that delivered attractive, high-octane football over the last few years. Francisco has been brought in to replace Iraola and it remains to be seen whether he can oversee a smooth transition for the team next season, but he does bring a lot of experience.
RC Celta
Experienced coach Rafa Benítez has returned to LaLiga to take charge of RC Celta after they narrowly avoided relegation last season. He will be called to put together a solid team that will try to better their position, but the main question is whether Iago Aspas, now aged 36, will still deliver in front of goal and continue being RC Celta’s leader on and off the pitch.
RCD Mallorca
Vedat Muriqi will once again be asked to carry the weight of the team’s attack on his shoulders, but he now has a new strike partner in Cyle Larin. Muriqi netted 15 of RCD Mallorca’s 37 goals last term, when they recorded fifth-lowest tally in the division, but he now has help thanks to the arrival of the Canada international, who bagged eight goals in 19 games for Real Valladolid. They could form a deadly duo.
Real Betis
Having finished sixth, fifth and sixth in the last three seasons, Real Betis have managed to consistently qualify for the Europa League. It now remains to be seen whether they have what it takes to step up their game and push for a top-four spot. Can Manuel Pellegrini work his magic again and inspire this Real Betis side to secure Champions League football for the first time since the 2005/06 campaign?
Real Madrid
Karim Benzema has departed Los Blancos as one of the club’s all-time greats, but it does mean that Real Madrid have lost the man who netted 111 league goals across the last five seasons. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has been assigned with the task of changing his tactics in response, to try to get new signing Jude Bellingham as close to goal as possible. Rodrygo will also be called to step forward and to improve his scoring record as he becomes even more of a starter.
Real Sociedad
After an impressive 2022/23 campaign, the Basques are set to return to the Champions League following a 10-year absence. The main question now is if Imanol Alguacil’s squad boasts enough depth to compete in Europe and Spain in their bid to push for another top-four finish in the table and whether their leaders can stay healthy enough to see out a long and challenging campaign.
Sevilla FC
José Luis Mendilibar turned Sevilla FC’s season around after joining the team midway through last term and leading them all the way to Europa League glory. The experienced coach was rewarded with a new contract with the team and he will be called to prove whether he can help them find some much-needed consistency, as Sevilla FC’s main objective will be to push for a top-four spot after finishing 12th in the turbulent 2022/23 campaign, their worst finish in the league since 1999/2000.
UD Almería
No team picked up fewer points than UD Almería away from home last season. The Andalusian side managed just eight points from 19 games, recording just one win and losing 13 matches. Coach Rubi has been replaced by Vicente Moreno, who will try to address this matter. Should he do so, UD Almería could better last season’s position.
UD Las Palmas
Can UD Las Palmas secure safety this season without a prolific scorer in their squad? Just two teams netted more goals than García Pimienta’s side as they won promotion last term, but Los Amarillos didn’t see any of their players record double digits in scoring, with UD Las Palmas’ top scorers – Sandro Ramírez, Marc Cardona and Jonathan Viera – getting their names on the scoresheet just seven times apiece.
Valencia CF
Club legend Rubén Baraja replaced Gennaro Gattuso midway through last season, with Los Che one of the teams involved in the relegation battle. He placed his trust in youth and it worked, as the likes of Javi Guerra, Diego López and Alberto Marí came up with big contributions. Valencia CF have the youngest squad in terms of average age going into the new campaign, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can keep performing at the highest level.
Villarreal CF
Following an injury-plagued 2022/23 campaign, Gerard Moreno’s fitness is expected to be key to Villarreal CF’s aspirations. Injuries have taken their toll on the Villarreal CF star, who has started in just 28 league games over the last two seasons. Should Gerard Moreno stay fit throughout the season, El Submarino Amarillo could push for a top-four spot.
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